The Shadowhoof Tribe
Introduction description incoming! Important OOC Notes The Shadowhoof Tribe is an all-Tauren, heavy-roleplay guild. While the guild is considered "neutral" according to the politics of the game, it can aptly be described as a "conflict" guild. We believe conflict roleplay adds variety, realism, and depth to the larger roleplay environment. Though our characters may be rude, or even xenophobic, that does not describe us as players. We're really pretty friendly folks. Credits This page is a joint effort, created by both Kurshaw and Checotan. We each wrote different sections. This section may seem pointless now, but as we include more content and images, we will have other names to add! Shadowhoof Culture << Halfa lay on her birthing mat of soft leaves and brush, exhausted by the task of bringing her daughter into the world. The air smelled of sweet oils – sungrass and lotus – and carried the hushed murmurings of the other women. There was the midwife Kahnee, of course, kneeled at Halfa’s hooves with the infant in her arms; on one side were three of her herd-sisters, and on the other rested her joyful mother and sister. It was Kahnee who ended the soft chatter by rising slowly and standing erect. Halfa panted into the new silence as her sister dampened a cloth and rubbed her brow clean. Kahnee turned to face the open flap of the tent. “Bron, you may come inside.” The male ducked his head as he crept into the tent, clutching a spear in his right fist. Halfa’s herd-sisters dropped their heads in greeting. Halfa’s mother and sister chittered between themselves: it was so obvious Bron was the father, since the infant clearly shared his dark coat. The midwife held the infant out for Bron to inspect, which Bron completed with a grunt of approval. Then, Kahnee nodded towards Bron’s spear. Tossing the spear into the air, the male caught it in mid-fall and pointed the sharpened tip under his child’s chin. The women watched with a nervous gaze, tense but unmoving. The infant opened her dark eyes wide and stared, rather cross-eyed, at the object assaulting her. With a thin bellow of consternation, she grabbed the tip of the spear and, with all her newborn might, tried to tug it away from it’s father. A wild cheer broke the air. Halfa’s sister whispered in her ear, “Your daughter is strong and brave, Halfa. She didn’t shy away or wail – she touched the spear.” >> <> The Shadowhoof is an old tribe, with hundreds of years of tradition and ritual that shape their everyday lives. It is a common belief among their people, for instance, that is lucky if the first thing a baby touches is it’s father spear – should the infant fail to do so, or should the baby show signs of fear, then the baby will probably live a very short life. Indeed, one of the greatest insults you could ever utter to a Shadowhoof would be that traditions are meaningless. The Shadowhoof believe that most Shu’Halo tribes have lost the Old Ways, and that as a result the tribes will (eventually) meet their downfall. A Day in the Life << The earth began to shake – small tremors that caused bowls of stew to shudder and ripple, and baskets of laundry to rattle like piles of snakes. “Ho-uuup!” The distinctive cry had villagers poking heads out of their tents. A caravan of kodos slowly marched into the center of the village. Each beast was draped with the thick rope net used to secure bundles, and had a Shu’Halo on its back. An excited crowd began to gather, hailing the precession with whoops and cheers and gesturing animatedly towards the goods each animal carried. The visiting Shu’Halo slid off their mounts and, with much affectionate patting, gathered up the reins of their animals in one hand, waiting. Elder Hunter Turok stepped out from the crowd and firmly grasped the arm of Aztok Manywinds, foremost of the riders and leader of the caravan family. The two men broke into identical grins. “What have you brought me today, old friend?” asked Turok, making sure to shake the caravaneer’s arm a little as they broke apart. Aztok Manywinds laughed, and gestured to his mate and children, who began rapidly freeing the bundles from the confines of the rope-nets. “Lots of mail and goods of the finest quality – things you backwater folks have never even seen, I’d bet. I’ll be trading for double the normal amount of skins. ” He winked rougishly. Turok laughed, and threw an arm around the old bull. “Come on – water your beasts and rest. Stay a while. Story circle will be starting soon enough…” >> <> The Shadowhoof have a reputation as being a crusty, ‘backwater’ bunch that is, as a whole, unbearably dour and bristly. This is far from the truth. Just because the Shadowhoof prefer to do things their own way – such as eschewing goblin mail and hiring caravaneers to fetch mail and goods – doesn’t mean that their tribal life can’t be busy and exciting. The children of the tribe have perhaps the best deal out of all the age groups. Most of their days are spent tumbling and playing from dawn to dusk, only stopping at meal times, or when an adult pulls them aside for a bath and scrubbing. Youngsters are raised communally, and so don’t have the strong connections to ‘mother’and ‘father’that you may see in other societies, such as the orcs. Once the children have seen roughly ten years, they are expected to contribute more to the tribe. They will begin learning the tasks of day to day survival: tasks like washing laundry, collecting plainstrider eggs, or picking herbs. Youth are rarely pushed towards a particular lifepath, or ‘job’. As young tauren age and make bonds with the elders in their tribe, it is expected that the Earthmother will touch each one and gently guide them to their purpose. A young Shaman, for examaple, may find herself inexplicably drawn to the company of the tribe’s shaman elders, and soon afterward may hear the elements’ voices. The only exceptions to this policy are that every tauren must learn the art of battle or defense, and that every tauren is expected to be a capable hunter. The tribe’s environment is perilious, and to be unable to provide for or defend oneself is not an option. Most hunting occurs during the night, when the local wildlife is most active. Many hunters employ cats, for their keen eyesight, but other types of companions are not uncommon. Hunting provides roughly 50% of the tribe’s meat intake, the remaining percent split evenly between trading and domesticated livestock, such as plainstriders. Mating and Family Structure << Hamal grasped his skin of firewater in one hand, using the other arm to elbow his companion, Dergon, in the ribs. “How about that one, eh?” He pointed to one of the young females dancing joyfully around the nearby fire. Dergon started, looking up from the scroll he was desperately attempting to read in the failing light. “What? Oh – Serga, you mean?” He shifted from side to side on his mat. “Oh, I don’t know. I hear she only likes… really tall… males.” Derga himself was a little short – two heads shorter, in fact, than other males his age. Hamal clapped a hand on Derga’s back, sending the scroll flying. Derga scrambled to pick it up. “Nonsense! She’s a sweet girl. How many women do you have in your herd, now?” “Still… still only the one, Bessyl.” Derga flattened his ears with embaressment. “But you know, Bessyl and I make a really good pair – I don’t think I need any more women, really.” Hamal roared with good-natured laughter and gave Derga another heavy pat on the back. “No, no. That won’t do. Only one woman – well, that’s just not civilized. You can still keep Bessyl as your favorite, you know.” Hamal stood. “I’ll go speak to her on your behalf.” Derga sighed and covered his face with his palms. >> <> The Shadowhoof, while not monogamists themselves, have heard of the practice’s rising popularity. If you were to ask a Shadowhoof what they thought about it, that Shu’Halo would most likely reply that “Monogamy is all very well, but not very practical,” and then idly blame the Horde and too much contact with the orcs. That is not say, however, that the Shadowhoof disdain monogamy, or that it never happens – it is merely an extremely rare occurance. In a land with many dangers, including wild beasts, centaur raids, violent ogres, and increasing Alliance encroachment (just to name a few), it helps to breed widely and often. The Shadowhoof prefer the old tradition where a single bull collects a herd of females. Herd sizes vary widely, and can contain as few as two or can climb up into the double digits. The Shadowhoof seem to prefer a nice middle ground, with herds containing roughly four females to one male. Herds generally share one large tent. As the closest equivalent to a “family”, they are the smaller unit that builds up the tribe – the building block. The young produced from these matings are raised communally. It is not uncommon for the females to form intensely intimate bonds between each other, especially if the bull practices favoritism. Because of this, allusions to “homosexuality” rarely shock the Shadowhoof. It also worth noting that, despite what many would consider a patriarchal practice, the Shadowhoof is, overall, a matriarchal society. Females rarely ever express feelings of “oppression” due to the herd system, for several reasons: a) herds are designed primarily for keeping birth rates high; b) female tribe members receive honors for their achievements, and never according to what bull they mate with; and c) females frequently acquire positions of leadership. Rituals OOC Note: This section is under heavy contruction, considering it’s one of the biggest components of our guild. In the meantime, check out the Ritual Events page of our guild website. History << Elder Mahaka Shadowhoof looked about the encampment, her half-lidded eyes scanning the fires. The flow of past memories, most of which were not her own, flooded her mind. She saw Father Keen-eye showing his son how to string his bow, and superimposed stood the image of Keen-eye’s great-grandfather smiling over the handy work clearly impressed. The scene to her left played out a pair of young Shu’halo playing tag as they ran around the central bonfire. A mother, brows knitted in distress, looks around desperately for her youngest who, by known account, had died during a raid on the village some thirty years ago. A great figure stood watching over the land, bow tight, as he prepared to let fly his last arrow in defense of his people during the great Centaur raids -- over a thousand years ago. Mahaka knew these spirits well as they played out the scenes of thousands of summers before. The lorekeeper had found the summer tribal lands. She turned to the Matriarch and nodded her approval. This was indeed their home. >> History for the Shadowhoof tribe is intertwined with tradition. The Spirit Walkers, while still a curiosity, hold much more sway with the tribal elders. Their pasts date back over five thousand years of trials and tribulations that still live on in legends and tales of their most respected warriors. Beginnings The Shadowhoof tribe began close to the same time that the Grimtotem rose to power deep in the jungles of Feralas. These two large and imposing tribes were in constant flux over who dominated the lands between Desolace and Thousand Needles. Tribal clashing was common, but never violent as the land could easily support the two tribes and their peoples. Ritual dueling between chieftains became the method of choice to decide the dominance of a particular area. The fighting between the two tribes never reached violence, as the two groups would on occasion simply agree to occupy the same area for a short time. Here the tribes would mingle and Shadowhoof would take Grimtotem brides and Grimtotem would greet Shadowhoof relatives. A third tribe, the Mistrunner tribe, found homes in the great forests of Feralas. They were a much smaller tribe, but found companionship in the Shadowhoof as they traded goods through their caravans who traveled the further reaches of Kalimdor. The Shadowhoof welcomed the Mistrunners into their homes and beds, through not as commonly as they did the Grimtotem. Centaur disruption The great deserts of Desolace hide the grand city of Maraudon, the centaur’s holy capitol city. This location placed the Shadowhoof in direct conflict with the horse-men, as they regularly hit the supply caravans coming through from the Sun Rock Mountains. This not only strained the Shadowhoof, but also the Grimtotem and the stationary groups of Mistrunners. In an act of honor, three chieftains of the tribes stood as one to defeat the Centaur threat. Great Hunter Ren Grimtotem, Father Ottan Mistrunner, and Honored Chief Akap Shadowhoof met at the great summit to discuss the downfall of the Centaur in Faralas. Each chieftain called their tribes to action and the wars began in earnest to remove the threat. For a great time the two forces battled for dominion over the land. Many lives were lost in the conflict, and through those times life was harsh. The males were often short lived and so an integral shift in power soon arose, and the Shadowhoof women began leading their people through ritual and hunting trails. Eventually the Centaur were driven completely from Feralas and stories of the battles were retold through the years as great legends. New Horde The coming of the Orcs to Kalimdor was for the most part ignored by the Shadowhoof, as their lands in Feralas were several months worth of travel away. News that did speak of the travelings of the great expanses were always on the tongues of caravan families and Grimtotem far runners. The Shadowhoof knew little of the other tribes in the further reaches of Kalimdor as they had no previous need. It was not until word began to spread of a Shu’halo chieftain who claimed dominion over all the tribes that Shaowhoof heads began to turn. This impotent leader had enlisted the help of outsiders, the alien race of orcs, to remove their own centaur threat from their homelands in Mulgore. There were now convoys to all the corners of Kalimdor with word that Cairne Bloodhoof was calling all his people home to his domain of Thunderbluff. Looking to their sister tribes, the Shadowhoof saw as the Mistrunners quickly took the banner of the New Horde and readily walked under Bloodhoof rule. They also watched as the Grimtotem sent their own convoys to Thunderbluff requesting equal representation, each time being denied. Their world was changing fast, and the Shadowhoof were forced to take action. The great leader Durka Sagehorn, from a neighboring tribe, stepped up to lead a small group of people to Thunderbluff with their allies. There they met with Cairne who was hesitant when they demanded that equal representation was necessary for further relations with the distant tribes. After a long deliberation between the chieftains, it was decided that a small group of each tribe would remain with a Grimtotem Crone on Thunderbluff to oversee that the tribes were not overlooked. Satisfied, the Shadowhoof took their leave of the rather open landscape and returned with their allies to the daily life in Feralas. Here life remainded peaceful until the orc expansion came with a dreadful price. The Alliance Whisperings of a new enemy: a pink skinned hairless demon, who traveled in packs through the supply trails, killing caravans of helpless families. The stories became even more horrific as word got out that these monsters took the horns and hooves of their victims and let the carcasses rot. They were not beasts of the land as they did not hunt for meat, and they disrespected and desecrated the dead in a way no centaur would find amusing. Later reports would come in as the threat grew to panic stricken heights where entire villages were slaughtered for horns and hooves. Women, children, elderly, and infants were slain without mercy. Messages were sent to the Grimtotem for guidance and the truth brought great anger to the Shadowhoof. The monsters hunting their people were humans who worked for the Alliance of the continent over the great sea. The dealings with the New Horde placed the Shu’halo in direct conflict with these beasts and now a Shu’halo pelt, horn, or hoof garnished a nice sack of gold for the hero. Humans found sport in the killing of the peaceful tribes as they had no real way of defending against multiple staged attacks. Turning to the Mistrunners, who had reliable contact with the Bloodhoof, the tribal leader Grandmother Waterstone, spoke with a messenger to gain the help of a supposedly allied force. What came to help was less then desirable, as the force to aid the Shu’halo was comprised of young-bloods who had never seen a jungle, let alone fight in one. They showed disrespect to the elders calling them bull-men and Tauren. The orcs were eating more food then provided and going so far as to assert dominance over the Chieftain claiming that the Shadowhoof were as weak as their kin the Bloodhoof. The caravans were still being attacked, and the stationed orcs found themselves bumbling through the jungles like lost infants. The Shadowhoof grew impatient and so instructed the orcs to leave their village and return to the Mistrunners. They soon were no longer welcome among the Shadowhoof. Present Day These days the Shadowhoof tribe raid the Alliance town of Niegel’s Point on a routine basis to keep their number low and protect the caravans. Recently, the envoys of Feralas Keldorei have stumbled upon the Shadowhoof and trade goods while turning a blind eye to the Shu’halo raids of human outposts. The relations with Mistrunner tribes remains strained as they quickly fall to the dominion of the Bloodhoof. The Shadowhoof watch as their traditions mirror the other tribes and no longer hold a significance to the Mistrunners as an individual tribe. Fearing this loss, the Shadowhoof retreat away from talk of joining the Horde. However, the druids of the tribe still seek council to learn of the balance of nature and the way of the wilds. The warriors of the tribe still learn the way of the spear through training and sparring with Grimtotem braves, though now it is only done on rare occasions. The Grimtotem, a now more militaristic tribe, march through the jungles with increased paranoia that the Horde will crush them completely. Through this the Shadowhoof learned the necessity of diplomacy and remain neutral to the Horde and its forces. They allow other Shu’halo tribes access to their lands and grudgingly trading goods with the Horde. Tribe Leadership Kurshaw << The female Shu’halo glared at the male who dared to insult her. “I am the Matriarch to the Shadowhoof tribe. You will treat me with respect, for I am equal among you Chieftains.” The male stood and chuckled as he raised a spear to the defiant woman, “Go back to your male. We will speak with him in these matters-” Before any of them could react, Kurshaw had ripped the spear from the grasp of the prideful male and had placed the point under his shocked muzzle. “I will not return to my male and you will speak of these matters to me… Understood?” >> <> Kurshaw is the current leader of the Shadowhoof tribe. She is a fiery spirit and has a short temper when dealing with disrespectful Shu’halo. She works hard to ensure her tribe gains equal footing among the Shu’halo who follow the way of the New Horde. She refuses to back down and give up her tribal lands to the new races inhabiting Kalimdor. While she does not fully endorse the Grimtotem, she does not trust the Bloodhoof in any regards. She has seen the downfall of many tribes as they relied on the Bloodhoof to aid them and the arrogant Horde did nothing as they perished. She will not allow her tribe to fall among them. Checotan (Under construction) Noteable Tribe Members Mahaka << The young Shaman saw the world unfold before him. Great monsters walked across the land as he cried out in shock. None of them paid him any mind, but that did not stop the poor Shu’halo from fleeing in fear. Turning a corner he witnessed the great battle of Two-stone as waves of centaur ran past him, spearing women and children. His mind whirled and everything went dark. Opening his eyes, the young one meet the faded, milky orbs of the Elder Spiritwalker Mahaka. She smiled down on him as she cradled his head, “Welcome to the past, present, and future young one…” >> <> Mahaka is a spiritwalker for the Shadowhoof tribe. She and others like her keep alive the spirits of Shadowhoof ancestors. Through her many chieftain have spoken with their great grandparents to gain wisdom and guidance in all things. The knowledge of the past flows through her mind and helps her predict good hunting grounds and migration paths. She trains the young shaman to walk with the spirits and to understand the ways of the elements. She is growing frail and old as the seasons progress. Soon she too will become just another elder and spirit to the Shadowhoof. Before her time is over, however, she will train another to interpret the will of the ancestors. She is currently looking for a student worthy of her training. Allies << The Brave shook her head as she watched the enthusiastic warrior charge the training dummy, then stumble and collapse on top of it – breaking off one of the wooden ‘arms’ with a loud crack. The young Shu’Halo had twice the passion and heart of his peers, but none of the coordination. Argo had noticed that Atunyet was slowly starting to fall behind– as his peers learned how to parry and thrust, Atunyet still struggled to hold a sword. She didn’t want her pupil to become discouraged, but there were only so many hours in a day… A sudden bolt of inspiration struck, and Argo smiled. She knew just who to call… >> '' Though the Shadowhoof may be a nuetral tribe, they are not an necessarily an insulated one. Shadowhoof have met and befriended peoples from all over Azeroth. A few such allies include: *'Reyga Plainhoof.''' While Reyga may have retired from her post of Lt. Colonel, she still trains novice soldiers in the arts of war. She has helped train Shadowhoof Braves on multiple occasions. When asked if she subscribes to the Shadowhoof’s political philosophy, she comments, “I’m not saying I do and I’m not saying I don’t. I’m getting too old to care about politics. But a Brave’s a Brave, and they deserve good teaching.” Political Alignment (Under construction.) Legends (Under construction.) Links Shadowhoof Guild Website YouTube Channel WrA.net group page Category:Horde Guild Category:Tauren Category:Shu'Halo